Vaporizer device

ABSTRACT

An electrically heated vaporizer having a pair of prongs to be plugged into a wall socket for vaporizing a chemically treated diffusable tablet for deodorizing, disinfecting, perfuming or otherwise treating air of a room, is formed of a hollow housing suitably foraminous to enable air to flow through so that air currents induced by the heater pass about the tablet to effect diffusion action. The housing is separated into two compartments by a partition on one side of which is the electrical heater, and the other side provides a shelf for the tablet. The partition panel has a sizeable number of small perforations for air passage, and oppositely arranged upwardly and outwardly inclined wings predetermine the position of the tablet and also baffle the air to the outlet passages.

United States Patent 1 Costello 1 July 24, 1973 VAPORIZER DEVICE Primary Examiner-C. L. Albritton 75 Inventor: Hal F. Costello, Toledo, Ohio [73] Assignee: Coswell Products, Inc., Toledo, Ohio [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1972 An electrically heated vaporizer having a pair of prongs [21] App]. No.1 217,818 to be plugged into a wall socket for vaporizing a chemically treated diffusable tablet for deodorizing, disinfecting, perfurning or otherwise treating air of a room, 2% "f 219,271 is formed of a hollow housing suitably foraminous to d 272 4, enable air to flow through so that air currents induced 1 2 2"; 5 by the heater pass about the tablet to effect diffusion l I action. The housing is separated into two compartments by a partition on one side of which is the electri- [56] Rem-em" Cited cal heater, and the other side provides a shelf for the UNITED STATES PATENTS tablet. The partition panel has a sizeable number of 2,513,919 7/1950 Costello.... 219/272 small perforations for air passage, and oppositely ar- 2. 1960 Yaffe 21/ l 19 X ranged upwardly and outwardly inclined wings predeg 'f t z termine the position of the tablet and also baffle the air v rl er r 3,105,892 10/1963 Knapp 219/276 to the ("met passages" 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures VAPORIZER DEVICE INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE There is incorporated in this specification by reference, the U.S. Pat. No. of H. F. Costello, 2,513,919, dated July 4, 1950, and entitled VAPORIZER.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the vaporizer which forms the subject matter of this application is disclosed in the U.S. patent referred to above and incorporated by reference in this application. Such vaporizer has been successfully used for many years, but it is found that the partition which separates the inside of the dome-like body into upper and lower compartments has not been entirely satisfactory. One reason for this is that the chemically treated tablet which rests on the upper side of this partition has not infrequently become misplaced to the detriment of its vaporization. Furthermore, the perforation or holes through the partition have not been entirely adequate to take care of the flow of air from the inlet apertures to the outlet apertures. Finally, such partition becomes somewhat displaced due to warpage or other causes.

According to this invention, a new and improved partition or shelf is provided having a large number of or a bank of relatively closely arranged perforations occupying nearly two-thirds of the area of the shelf, and in such position that the chemically treated tablet can cover most of the apertures so that the flow of air through the apertures and over and around the tablet is greatly improved. For insuring the positioning of the tablet and to act as a baffle or deflector for the air currents passing through the body, at the opposite sides of the bank of holes and directly beneath the outlet of openings are outwardly and upwardly inclined wings or baffles. These wings not only predetermine the proper positioning of the tablet, but also aid in the directional movements of the air currents as they pass from the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a composite perspective view of a body and the cover plate constituting the vaporizer; and

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the partition panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a hollow body of dome shape which is closed at one end and open at the other. Closing the open end of the body 10 is a detachable cover plate 11 which has a stepped portion 12 fitting inside of the body. On the cap and the body are bosses l3 and screws 14 pass through the bosses on the cover plate into screw threaded engagement with the bosses on the body.

The cap is'provided with a pair of prongs 15 for electrical connection to a wall outlet as will be readily understood. The prongs 15 are arranged at an inclined angle with respect to the vertical center of the vaporizer in position of use, the arrangement and importance thereof being fully described in the referenced patent.

On the inner side of the cap or cover plate 11 is an electrically resistant type heater 16, the ends of which are connected respectively to the prongs 15 by wires 17. Arranged above the heater in the cap is an elongate access hole 18 through which a chemically treated tablet can be inserted. Adjacent the lower edge of the hole 18 is a pair of inwardly projecting nubbins or projections 19 for purposes hereinafter described.

Formed in the lower portion of the body 10 is a series of elongate parallel slots 14 (in this instance, four such slots are provided), and these afford inlet of air from the outside. In the upper portion of the body opposite to the inlet slots in a series of parallel closely spaced outlet slots 21 (in this instance there being six of such slots).

The bosses 13 on the body are arranged approximately midway of the vertical inside thereof and project substantially end to end so as to provide ledges on which to support a partition or shelf panel 22. When in place, this panel divides the inside of the body into upper and lower chambers, the heater 16 being in the lower chamber. The panel 22 is in the form of a flat, relatively thin piece of fiberboard or other similar material having a front edge 23 rounded to fit intimately the front end of the housing to provide a snug fit. When the cover plate or cap 11 is in place, the laterally spaced nubbins 19 extend over the upper edge of the partition panel and insure that it remains in proper position.

In the central portion of the panel is a bank of holes 24 covering approximately two-thirds of the area of the partition and these are arranged beneath the outlet holes 21 and directly above the inlet holes 20. Formed by slitting and bending there are provided two baffle plates or wings 22 at the opposite ends of the banks of holes, each wing inclining upwardly and outwardly and terminating in the respective outermost outlet hole 21 at the outer edge thereof. These wings have a twofold function. They predetermine the position of the chemically treated tablet, indicated at T, so as to insure that it is properly arranged relative to the holes 24, and additionally baffle or direct the stream of air passing through the body to the outlet holes and preventing any eddy currents which otherwise would develop at the sides. This insures that the most effective use of the stream of heated air takes place.

It will be understood that the tablet indicated at T is a volatile, or air-diffusible substance of a character meeting the air treatment which the vaporizer is intended to accomplish. It may be of a deodorizing, perfuming or gennicidal nature.

What I claim is:

1. In a vaporizer device designed to be plugged into an electrical wall outlet having a hollow body structure separated to provide a lower chamber and an upper chamber, there being air inlet port means in the lower chamber and air outlet port means in the upper chamber, the port means in the upper chamber comprising a plurality of elongate closely spaced ports, and a back casing member having a resistance-type electrical heating element extending into the lower chamber, the improvement which comprises a partition or shelf panel for supporting a chemically treated tablet and fitting said hollow body structure for providing said chambers and having a plurality of closely spaced holes covering an area of the order of three fourths the area thereof, and wings or flaps on opposite sides of and forming a part of said shelf panel and inclining upwardly and outwardly and terminating respectively in close juxtaposition to the outermost air outlet ports for directing the air to same and also insuring the positioning of the tablet thereon.

2. A vaporizer device as claimed in claim 1, in which ing inwardly projecting nubbins on said back casing the free end portions of said wings project into the remember adapted to overlie said panel for assisting in spective outlet ports to engage the outer edges thereof. retaining same in position of use.

3. A vaporizer device as claimed in claim 1, compris- 

1. In a vaporizer device designed to be plugged into an electrical wall outlet having a hollow body structure separated to provide a lower chamber and an upper chamber, there being air inlet port means in the lower chamber and air outlet port means in the upper chamber, the port means in the upper chamber comprising a plurality of elongate closely spaced ports, and a back casing member having a resistance-type electrical heating element extending into the lower chamber, the improvement which comprises a partition or shelf panel for supporting a chemically treated tablet and fitting said hollow body structure for providing said chambers and having a plurality of closely spaced holes covering an area of the order of three fourths the area thereof, and wings or flaps on opposite sides of and forming a part of said shelf panel and inclining upwardly and outwardly and terminating respectively in close juxtaposition to the outermost air outlet ports for directing the air to same and also insuring the positioning of the tablet thereon.
 2. A vaporizer device as claimed in claim 1, in which the free end portions Of said wings project into the respective outlet ports to engage the outer edges thereof.
 3. A vaporizer device as claimed in claim 1, comprising inwardly projecting nubbins on said back casing member adapted to overlie said panel for assisting in retaining same in position of use. 